Gibbon

Gibbon, any species of Hylobates, long-armed, tailless Anthropoid apes, from the large islands of the Eastern Archipelago, Sylhet and Assam, Cambodia, the S. of China, and the island of Hainan. The body is very slender, and the fore limbs so exceedingly long that they reach nearly to the ground when the animals are erect, and there are hard patches of bare skin on the buttocks. The gibbons are arboreal in habit, swinging from tree to tree with their long arms, but they walk with difficulty, for the soles of their feet are turned inwards, which, however, enables them to grasp the boughs more firmly. They feed on fruit and leaves, are gentle in disposition, fairly intelligent, and have good memories. H. syndactylus, the Siamang, has the first and second toes united as far as the second joint and an air sac opening into the windpipe, whence it is sometimes placed in a separate genus (Siamanga). Other species are, the White-handed or Common Gibbon (H. lar), the Hoolock (H. hoolock), the Silvery Gibbon (H. leuciscus), the Agile Gibbon (H. agilis), and the Crowned Gibbon (H. pileatus). The Hainan Gibbon (H. kainanus) was first brought to Europe in 1892, and placed in the gardens of the Zoological Society.